Assassins Creed Brotherhood - The Untold Tale of a Young Assassin
by SkyexMuffins
Summary: During the time of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Ezio had only to start the liberation of the Borgia rule. This is the untold tale of a young recruit who only just joined into the creed. Having nowhere to run to, the young assassin will learn the ways of the creed along with some assassins as mentors and friends. (constructive criticism appreciated)


It was hot in Roma, so hot it was as though the sun could scorch the ground, it was calm and still. The area was a small town; little buildings and houses here and there, and the ever-pervasive presence of a Borgia tower in the nearby surrounding area. A large gate was there to allow travelers out of Roma, with an aqueduct jutting out of it. The great Coliseum, aged and broken, loomed over the horizon, past the large aqueduct that ran over the town. "Jump, Lucia! You have to jump to the other side!" a voice was heard yelling at a small girl. She was on top of a broken aqueduct, the water flowing down into a well that would bring more fresh water to the townsfolk. She was scared, the water rushing by her ankles setting her balance astray.

"P-papa...I'm scared!" she yelled in a meek voice. She held her ground, not moving towards the edge.

"If you don't move this instant, then I will put you back into the cellar!" he yelled. "Now get going, or else!"

Lucia scowled, her knees shaking; she didn't want to jump, she wanted to get down and cower away. She looked ahead of her and saw the other end of the aqueduct. It was void of the water that was running past her, the brick dry and welcoming. She backed up from the edge and prepared herself.

_I have to make it,_ she thought to herself. _If I don't, father will hurt me again._

Lucia backed up a little more, hoping that she will have enough speed to make the jump.

"Now, Lucia!" her father angrily yelled.

She ran as fast as she could with the water flowing with her. Her short black hair bounced as she ran. The only thing she could see was the ledge while everything else was a blur for her. As she neared the ledge she made a final burst of speed for her to make the jump. The ledge came and she jumped as high and as long as she could, her left leg forward and her chest pushed out. The ledge was farther than she thought, and she tried to reach her arm out to try and catch the ledge on the other side. Her hand swiped at empty air. She noticed the hay on the ground where she is falling and prayed that she would land in it. She cried as she fell, knowing her father would be angry. She thought of herself as a failure as she looked up at the sky and the ledges of the aqueducts, falling into the pile of hay.

The sky was dark and gloomy, and very quiet. A tall figure was walking in the plaza, and was sticking to the shadows. The moon was hidden beyond a veil of clouds. The few lanterns and torches that were still lit cast a long shadow for the figure to walk in. A few people were still spread out, here and there, talking or sitting around, eating and ignoring the man. He continued to quietly walk around, looking over his shoulder and then pacing back and forth as if he was waiting for someone. He looked paranoid, worried, hoping that no one would recognize or discover him. What he didn't know was that there was a small figure atop the surrounding buildings, hidden from sight, and quietly observing the man's movements. It inched closer and closer to the ledge, the wind brushing against its hair, and produced two small knives from its person, ready to kill the man. The man, oblivious, continued to pace, hoping for someone, or something, to show. He then turned around and a look of mixed familiarity and relief crossed his face.

"Here's the letter you told me to retrieve for you," the hooded figure spoke.

"Grazie. This is all I need to expose Arrigo's ruthlessness." the man spoke.

The hidden figure flinched and stood its ground. It waited for the two men to depart, then descended to the streets and approached the man who delivered the letter. The hooded figure did not acknowledge the smaller character and continued to walk. As soon as the hooded figure turned into a more secluded area, he was stabbed multiple times. The smaller figure pulled him to the side to hide him from others, and left him there.

"Now... onto the true threat," the young man said.

He then quietly pursued the man who had received the letter, with only one goal: to kill the man, take back the letter and report to Arrigo. As He caught up to the man, he started to run. Realizing that he'd been seen, he abandoned stealth, and burst into a full sprint.

"You won't be able to catch me, boy!" the man yelled. He turned a corner and started to climb up the aqueduct and make an escape. Unfortunately for him, the boy was right at his heels, swiping at him, barely missing. Scaling the structure completely, he broke into a run. At the end of the aqueduct, he already had enough speed to jump and catch the ledge on the other side, and climbed up.

The boy jumped after him, but a nagging doubt tugged at him. He reached out, attempting to grab hold of the ledge. His hand swung at empty air. Angered, he landed and rolled forward to break his fall and ran along the bottom to find a way up the aqueduct.

The man turned back, and not seeing his pursuer, began to slow down and was filled with both worry and relief. He didn't realize that the boy was already ahead of the man and was waiting for him. He turned back to the direction he was running to and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Now...you DIE!" The boy yelled, running towards the man with knives again, ready to kill him.

The man let loose a battle cry, grabbing his sword to fight the boy. The man swung his sword at the boy, only to miss by a hair as he jumped into the air to dodge the man's sword attack. His arm shot out, knife extended, slicing the man's arm open. He dropped his sword, and he lunged for the man's neck and severed it. The man dropped instantly, blood pouring onto the ground. Sitting atop of the newly formed corpse, the boy rummaged through its clothes and pulled out the parchment.

"Bastardo." he whispered. "Spero che tu bruciare all'inferno."

The boy turned and looked out into the horizon scanning the area, and his triumph began to sink below a feeling of dread. "Time to see Arrigo..."

The boy looked into the distance and estimated how long it will take him to see the cardinal. He could walk… but it would take him most of the night to reach Arrigo, but if he could find a horse... Either way, he would have to face Arrigo, whether he wanted to or not. He decided to ride a horse into the city and rest at an inn, to have at least some composure and a good night's rest.

Clambering onto a horse, he felt at ease and calm. For him, it'd been years since he felt like that. He had never found any time to be calm and steady. With his father, it's always "Be on guard", "never rest while my enemies are around". He was sick and tired of it, but Arrigo was his master; he couldn't do anything about it. Like a puppet, he had no control.

The sun slowly rose on the horizon, a calm breeze sweeping into the area while the horse and its rider walked. Guards were crawling around all over the place and archers were on the roofs waiting, watching for anything that would be a threat. The brutes, with their heavy armor and their large battle axes, clanked loudly as they walked. The villagers minded their own business as if the guards were as normal as the birds. Thieves were in their corner, out of sight from the guards and mercenaries, standing around waiting for someone to hire them. There were merchants setting up their shops, and some were already actively selling goods.

The young boy was drowsy, already falling asleep from his midnight assassination. But he had to keep going; he only had about an hour's worth of riding until he got to the city and there he would find a place for rest. He urged her horse to run, galloping through the road... then he felt as if someone was following him. As he turned to look around him, he saw bandits running towards him, butcher knives at the ready to steal whatever the boy had on him.

"Merda!" the boy yelled

He urged her horse to go faster, grabbing his knives, ready to knock them back: if he ran into the city, the guards would stop them. A bandit ran close to the noy, lunging at him with his blade. The boy kicked his face and continued to flee. Another bandit attempted to take him down, but was only to fail while the boy sliced his fingers off with his knife. The bandit yelled in agony, wailing "Bastardo!"

It didn't take the boy long for him to get to the city, the bandits turning back before they got within range of the archers along the roofs. He had the rest of the day to slack off and rest before he was to arrive to Arrigo's dinner party. Arrigo didn't care whether she came to enjoy the party or not. As long as he did her job, then Arrigo was happy. He was to dress appropriately and be on his best behavior. He didn't care for mingling with the other people, he just wanted to get away from him master, the thing he despised most… he had her reasons.

Hours passed while the boy rested. Getting up, he dressed into his evening attire, slipping a few of his weapons, just in case. He had a chance to rest at an inn and time to plan out how he would have to act and what to say during the party.  
"Well... better to get going…" the boy whispered.

He left the inn and headed for the northern part of the centro district, promising his steed food and drink. The sun set, but people were still out and about, getting ready for parties, dining or getting with the courtesans having their way with them. Even the guards were out, though dealing with the drunkards. But it didn't faze the boy, ignoring everyone who came to him begging for money, women asking for a night with him, and potential drinking buddies. He continued forward and saw the cardinals walking towards the large doors to his home. Leading his horse to the stables, he went inside, preparing for the worst.

"There you are, my boy!" bellowed a cardinal. He came up to him, and said quietly, "Your mission was successful, correct?"

"Yes, sir..." he replied

"Good!" He smiled, his charismatic face seen by the boy as a sheet of glass to the greedy, disgusting man inside. "Everyone! A toast! Long live Innocent VIII!"

Through the cheering, the boy didn't move. Arrigo continued. "And a toast...for my son, Lucian!"

Lucian bowed, ever so slightly, and everyone cheered and drank. He was still and kept that way throughout the entire event.


End file.
